mushrooms

This blog is brought to you by all of the leftover holiday meal ingredient in my refrigerator. I’m sure you know what I mean – that special item or spice you bought for the new recipe you just had to make for Christmas or New Year’s that is just staring back at you. This Wild Chanterelle Mushroom Sauce is a result of using the ingredient remainders from my holiday meals, with the intent to always use up what I have bought (and encourage you to do the same!).

I loosely followed Giada’s recipe for mushroom ragu, swapping out quite a few ingredients for what I had on hand. The main ingredient in my version – chanterelles – were procured in a large (1 pound!) container from Costco. I had never seen such a large container of wild mushrooms and I was eager to cook with them. One of the other ingredients – cream sherry – was used in my Langostino Lobster Bisque. I used the sherry in replace of the Marsala in the original recipe.

This Wild Chanterelle Mushroom Sauce also makes a great topping. You can enjoy it over lamb with polenta, steak and mashed potatoes, or even pasta. I haven’t decided which one is my favorite!

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the onions and saute for 5 minutes or until they begin to brown, then add the garlic and saute for 1 minute longer. Add the mushrooms and cook for 8-10 minutes, or until mushrooms are tender and some liquid remains in the pan. Add the stock and cream sherry and bring to a low boil and cook for 10 minutes longer, or until about half of the liquid remains. Remove from the heat and stir in the half and half and salt. Serve.

Back in May, I tried a new-to-me version of mushroom soup while on a work trip: Hungarian Mushroom Soup. I had never heard of it before and I was intrigued. When the dish arrived it was burnt sienna in color, and was a creamy soup with meaty chunks of mushroom. My guess was that the vibrant color was due to paprika, a classic Hungarian spice, but I wondered what other tweaks to cream of mushroom soup were typical for the Hungarian version.

After some research, it appears that a few other swaps are common to Hungarian Mushroom Soup: fresh dill instead of thyme, beef stock instead of chicken stock/white wine, and a bit of soy sauce in the base. The fresh dill gets used both in the base of the soup as well as a garnish, offering a fresh flavor profile to the soup. While the recipe steps are similar to a classic cream of mushroom soup, the ingredient swaps result in a hearty and noticeably spicy version of the soup.

As the weather turns colder I am looking forward to trying a bunch of new soups, and this Hungarian Mushroom Soup is likely to stay in rotation.

Melt 1 tablespoons of butter in saute pan. Saute the onions for five minutes and then add the mushrooms and sauté for an additional 5 -10 minutes until the mushrooms are browned.

In a large pot melt the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter and stir in the flour, constantly whisking for several minutes until the mixture is a rich, caramelized brown. Add the milk, stock, and soy sauce, still whisking until the mixture is smooth. Add the paprika, dill, slat and pepper and simmer until the mixture becomes thick, about 5-8 minutes. Add the mushroom mixture, bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, cover and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. To serve, garnish with sour cream and additional dill, if desired.

The first recipe contest I have entered this year is the Healthy Solutions Spice Blends Recipe Challenge. As a busy, working mom I love the added time-saving feature of premixed spice blends. With over 15 spice blends to chose from, you are sure to find something your family will enjoy – even those on a low salt or low sugar diet.

It was tough to decide which spice blend to feature, but I ultimately selected the Bold Beef Rub since my mouth watered just thinking of all the new recipes I could create.

My Steak & Mushroom Frittata uses the Bold Beef Rub in two places – as a coating on the skirt steak pieces before they are sauted and as the flavoring in the eggs.

This one-pan breakfast dish is a sure crowd pleaser! The robust flavor of the Bold Beef Rub added great depth to the frittata, and the generous portion of mushrooms and other vegetables made the dish seem hearty without making it too heavy. I’m sure that once you try this steak & mushroom frittata you’ll be tempted to try all of the Healthy Solutions spice blends!

Steak and Mushroom Frittata

6 large eggs

1/8 cup half & half

2 teaspoons Healthy Solutions Bold Beef Rub, divided

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

½ lb skirt steak, cut into bite sized pieces

½ lb baby Portobello mushrooms, diced

10 grape tomatoes, diced

½ cup diced green onions

1 ½ cups shredded Swiss cheese (6 ounces)

Preheat the broiler. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the eggs, half & half, and 1 teaspoon of the Bold Beef Rub; set aside. In a separate bowl, sprinkle the remaining Bold Beef Rub over the skirt steak pieces and toss to coat.

Melt the butter in a large (12-inch) cast skillet over medium heat. Add the steak and cook, turning often, until the pieces are evenly browned and the meat cooked to medium, about 2-3 minutes. Remove the steak from the skillet and let rest on a plate, meanwhile add the mushrooms to the skillet and saute until browned and reduced in size, about 4 minutes. Return the steak to the pan, then add the diced tomatoes and green onions in an even layer. Pour the egg mixture over the steak mixture and then evenly top with the cheese. Cook over medium-low heat until the sides are set but the top is still runny, about 3-4 minutes. Place the skillet under the broiler and cook for another 3-4 minutes or until the eggs are set, puffed, and slightly browned. Remove from the oven and serve immediately.

This pasta looks scrumptious, doesn’t it? You might be surprised to find it is a macaroni & cheese food hack.

I’m not going to lie – some weeks are really busy. At the end of an extra long work week (or day) I’d rather spend my evening playing with my kids than whipping up something elaborate in the kitchen. You might even get a deer-in-the-headlights stare when you ask what is on my menu for the weekend. Sometimes I stall my answer, since a truthful response might include either (1) macaroni & cheese or (2) an easy staple, which in this house means tacos, rotisserie chicken, or a loaded salad.

The first option is a sure kid pleaser, and there is no denying the ooey goodness of boxed varieties. Plain macaroni & cheese, however, doesn’t quite feel adult. That is why this recipe is a good compromise between a creamy packaged treat and grownup flavors of porcini and sun dried tomatoes.

I started by preparing a box or my favorite creamy white cheddar macaroni & cheese, which happens to be Annie’s, per the package instructions.

Once it was done, I stirred in some rehydrated porcini, as well as some sundried tomatoes and thyme, creating a dressed-up dish that can be prepared in the same amount of time as the plain version.

I grudgingly shared the dish with my husband, since I’m pretty sure I could have eaten it all by myself in one sitting.

I guess admitting that you are serving macaroni & cheese for dinner can be a good thing!